Ore-separator.



. UNITED STA ES PATENT OFFICE. MATTHEW ROBERT LYLE, OIFBZITLAND CALIFORTHA.

' ORE-SEPARATOR.

Hrs-840,354.

Patented J an. 1, 1907.

Application filed November 10, 1905. Serial No. 286,681-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be vit known that I, MATTHEW ROBERT LYLE, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of Oakland, in thecounty of Ala- 'meda and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Ore-Separator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descri tion.

his invention relates to ore-separators, and it is especially adapted for effecting the separation of gold from its ore or from goldbearing sand and gravel.

' The invention relates especially to that class of separators which depend for their operation upon gravitation, the action of which is assisted by a constant agitation of the orebearing material.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction by means of which as the separation of the metal is effected the waste material will be constantly ejected.

Further objects of the invention are to provide means for reducing the forces to operate the device and to rovide an arrangement whigh will prevent l bss of metal in the Waste san The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter, and definitely set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this s ecification, in which similar characters of re erence indicate corresponding parts in all the-figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through the machine, certain parts being shown in elevation and others being broken away. Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section on the line .2 2 of Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is aside e evation, partly in section, on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing a portion of the frame of the separator and illustrating especially the mechanism for agitating the same. Fig. 4 shows a portion of the lower extremity of the separator-body and chute, the up or portion of the said'body being represented in cross-section together with portions of the chute; and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section showing a portion of the separator-body, together with ortions of the chute, and illustraltcting a mo ified form which the chute may ta e. 1

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the frame substantially square in plan, the same comprising four corner posts or standards 2, connected by horizontal bars 3. This frame is maintained in an upright osition, as shown, and across its upper end 1t su ports a beam 4, to the under side of whicfi a bracket 5 is rigidly attached. This bracket 5 is formed with a bearing 6, which receives the reduced upper extremity of a vertical shaft 7, said shaft being hollow, as

shown, and provided at its lower extremity with a neck 8. This neck 8 passes through a bearing 9, preferably rovided with a suitable bushing 10, as in icated. Through the bore 1 1 of the shaft 7 a cord or cable 12 passes and this cable has attached at its lower extremity a in 13, which engages the lower extremity o the neck 8 in such a manner as to support the shaft in a vertical osition. The upper extremity of this cable is supported at 14 on the beam 4.

By means of radial arms 15 a cylindrical ,shell or body 16 is rigidly attached to the shaft 7, as indicated. On the outer side of this body 16 the chute 17 is attached, the same being'of helical form, as shown. This chute decreases in dimensions from its upper extremity downward so that at its lower extremity 1 8 it is of greatl reduced dimensions, as indicated. It shoufd be understood that this chute constitutes a continuous coil Pass- I in about the body 16. If desired, the Indivi ual coils may be made more rigid by means of suitable diagonal braces 19. At the lower extremity 18 of the chute I provide hoppers or receivers 20 21, which are preferably formed together, and separated by an edge or partition 22, as indicated most clearly in Flg.

2. These hoppers are referably formed with -circumferentiallyisposed walls 23, which conform tothe, curvature of the body 16, the inner wall ofthe hoppers beingdisposed against the side of the ody 16, as indicated most clearly in Fi 1. The hoppers are attached adjustably to the cylinder-wall by means of bolts 26, passing through circumferential slots. From this arrangement the hoppers may be adjusted with respect to the lower end of the chute 17.

I provide means for continuously a itating the separator-body and chute. For t 's purpose the frame 1 is preferably constructed with verticalsor standards 28, two in number, and preferably disposed slightly apart, as shown. At a suitable point these verticals are connected by a bar 29, to which a rock-.

bar or rocker 30 is pivotally attached. The lower extremity of this rocker is connected ICC IIC

by means of a connecting-rod or pitman 31 with a rotatable disk 32, rigidly mountedon a driving-shaft 33, which may be supported in an suitable manner. The upper extrem ityo the rocker 30 carries a longitudinallydisp'o'sed extension or whip 34, preferab formed of a resilient metal bar, such as steel.

. To the upper extremity of this whip or'strap" ahead35 1s'attached,1the same having a londriven when the device is in gitudinal eye or'slot 36. Into thisfslot 36 :projects a, pin 3'1, whichis carried by a block 38, the saidfblock beingrig'irlly attached to the extremity of an arm 39. (Shown most clearlyin Fig. 2.) This arm preferably comprises oppositely-disposed inclined members 40, which are rigidly attached on opposite sides of the body 16, as shown.

The shaft .33 carries rigidly a belt-pulley 41, which is adapted to be continuously ration. By this means the rocker is reclprocated, and

through the medium of the arm 39 the separatorody 16 is'reciprocated in'a rotary man-- ner. I provide buflers or pads 42, and these are attached on the adjacent faces of the uprights 28 and in the path of the moving block 38. From this arrangement the lateral movements of the arm are arrested. and a sudden jolt or jar imparted to the material in a suitable nozz e 46-. The separati the chute at the end of each throw.

I may make the cross-section of the chute 17 in the form shown in Fi 1 but the number of coils or pitch of the helix maybe chan ed, as

desired. For instance, it may be 0 high pitch, having a great number of coils, as shown in Fig. 41 Instead of maki the chute of the form shown in Figs. 1 an 4, I mag make the bottom rounded or corru ated or may give the chute a rectangular orm, such as shown in Fi 5, where the bottom 43 is substantially horizontal, or any other desired .form or cross-section of chute may be used.

In Fig. 4 the hoppers 20 and 21 are represented in fposition ]11Sl below the lower extremity o' the chute. These hoppers may be 'ad]usted as intimated above, so as to change their angular relation with respect to the end of the chute. The purpose of this adjptstment will be describedmore fully hereina er.

The crushed ore or gold-bearing sand or,

gravel will'be introduced to the upper extremity of the chute by means of a suitable feed-trough 44, and at asuitable ointat the upper end of'the chute a vertica pi e 45 is provided which afiords means for elivering water to the u per end of the chute through process ma be carried on dry-that is, wit out the edition of any water. It may also be carried on with the body and chute constructed substantially as described above, the same "being arrangield water. t

be agitated :in any way, but will serve to re- 1 'within a vessel containing In s latter case the water will not lease'what values may be contained in particles of dirt and assist the hea values in or chute through the gravel, besides carrying olfthe .loose dirt which it may take up in finding their way to the bottom 0 the trough mechanical's us ension. Instead of immersing the entire" evice in water, as suggested, I may use a stream of water delivered to the upper portion of the chute through the noz- 'z 46, which would assist in washing down.

the lower portion of the chute, and by reason i of the greater specific gravity of the gold the metal exerts a tendency to find its way toward the bottom of the trough. As the crosssection or volume of the trough diminishes gradually toward its lower extremity the upper layers of the material will be constantly thrown off as the operation progresses, and eventually the values having settled onto the floor of the chute and into the bottom of the trough arrive at the lower end 18 of the chute, at which point they pass into the hopper 21.

extra hopper 20, described above. This hopper is of course se arated from the hopper 21,. and the materia which it captures will be re-treated in the se arator.

The manner of a justing the hoppers 2O 21 is as follows: In case the sand is very rich or.

for other reasonsif a com lete separation is not efiected before reachin then the hoppers will be a justed, as far as possible, so as to catch a larger uantity' of the material falling over the e go of the chute near the lower end. If, on the other hand, the se aration is very complete, the

' hoppers will e adjusted to a more extreme position beyond the end 18 of the chute and .so as to reduce the uantity of tailings which will be caught in t e hopper 20. This adjustment is of course in a horizontal directionand is effected by means of the bolts 26, working in the slots 27.

I regard the feature of the consists in e'ecting continua y the waste sand as hig y advantageous as itrelieves the richer portions of the sand beneath from pressure. In this way as theweight upon the richer sand is reduced it does not pack itself tightly, but remainsina loose mass, as will be readily understood, and this condition is highly conducive to effect a thorough In order to prevent any pos-- sibility of gold bearing material being lost by ejection above the hopper 21, I provide the rocess whichtoo the hopper 21 separation of the values from the waste. At-

tention is called to the fact that none of the weight of the separator-body 16 and the chute 17 is taken upon the bearings 6 and 9.

These bearings simply maintain the separator in a vertical position. Its weight is entirely supported by the cord or cable 12. From this arrangement the frictional losses are very slight, and the forces necessary to eilect the reciprocation of the separator-body become insignificant.

When I am working the separator witha stream of water running in the chute, the in-' cline of the chute should be very much less than that used when the device is operating as a dry separator; Special attention is again called to the tapering construction of the chute, which results. Iin continuously ejecting the waste sand in the upper portion of the chute, which assists in concentrating the values in the lower part.

While I have described a construction in connection with the separator, obviously I may use the separator-body,

supported in any suitable manner, in a verti- .cal position, and the chute could be disposed aslwell inside the body of the cylinder as outsu e. I

Also, while I have described the body of the separator as a cylinder, any suitable structure may be used to carry thejchute and hold it in position, such as a center shaft, as

shown, having brackets or arms extending from the shaft and carrying the coils, but

having no cylinder or casing.

In practice I may make the chute a simple helix, as illustrated, or I may make the chute in the form of an inverted s ir'al, the coils decreasing in diameter towar the bottom.

The surface of the chute 17 may be roughened either by elevations or depressions, or

moving down are constantly ejected from certain frame an overhanging edge said separator, and means for giving said chute a reciprocating rotary movement.

3. A separator aving a substantially round body and a chute attached thereto and disposed in helical coils thereabout, the edges of the uppermost of said coils projecting beyond the coils therebelow, and means for giv-' ing said chute a reciprocating rotary movement, to eject the material from said separator throughout the entire length of sand chute.

4. A separator having a substantiallycylindricalbody with a chute attached thereto and tapering toward the lower extremity thereof, said chute beingarran ed so that the material falling over the edge t ereof is ejected from said separator, and means for imparting a reciprocating rotary movement to the said body.

5. In a se arator, 1n combination, a body carrying a c ute in which a separation may be eflected, a cord supporting said body, and

means for imparting a reciprocating rotary movement to said body.

6. In a separator, in combination, a frame,

a body carrying a chute, a cord supporting said body, members engaging the extremities of said body and maintaining the same in a substantially upright position, and means for imparting a reciprocating rotary movement to said body.

7. In a separator, in combination, a frame presenting a beam, a hanger disposed below said beam, a said han er, a cord suspending said body from sai beam, said body engaging said hanger and maintaining the same in a verti-- cal position, and means for imparting a reciprocating movement to said body.

8. In an ore separator, in combination, a substantially cylindrical body, achute. dlsposed in coils thereabout' decreasing 1n dimension toward the lower end of said body, and a pair of he pers attached to said body at the lower-en of said chute and adapted res ectively to receive the material from the en 9f said chute and'the waste overflow aejacent to the same, and means for adjusting said hoppers in a substantially horizonta plane beneath the lower end of said chute.

hollowbody disposed beneath In testimony whereof I have signed my I name to this specificationin the presence of J two subscribing witnesses.

MATTHEW ROBERT LYLE; Witnesses:

--JAMES P. HARRIS,

CLARENCE M. REED. 

